Petrinian Scouts Host Investiture Ceremony

March 18, 2023 marked a day in the history of Colegio de San Pedro–Recoletos as the school officials, teachers, and several esteemed guests gathered together to witness the successful investiture of the sixteen new Petrinian cadets and senior cockerel Girl Scouts held at the Colegio de San Pedro–Recoletos gymnasium with a theme “Building girls with courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.”

The program was hosted by Mr. Ariel Valencia and was formally opened by Fray Feliciano Campomanes Jr., OAR. It was followed by the presentation of the distinguished investing officers introduced by the Petrinian Girl Scout troop leader and adviser, Ms. Bessie Maquirang. This was the first investiture ceremony in years that was reorganized by the institution and attended by renowned leaders of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines Council represented by the council executive, Mrs. Razzil P. Nocete; the Council Assistant Treasurer, Mrs. Rosalima C. Lacorte; and the council Vice President for Field, Ms. Rosario B. Rosales, who welcomed the new cadets and senior Girl Scouts with such warmth and enthusiasm.

The welcoming ceremony officially commended with the lighting of the symbolic candles as the cadets recited the Girl Scout Promise and Law with conviction. Thereafter, the pinning ceremony of the Girl Scouts and their troop leaders took place, with Miss Bessie Maquirang as the cadet troop leader, Miss Cindy Dunque as the senior troop leader, and Miss Juwen Lucille and Miss Marianne Alejado as the co-leaders. The Girl Scouts of the Philippines sign and handshake followed accordingly. With these, the sixteen aspiring Petrinian cadets and senior scouts were officially recognized and welcomed by the investing officers as the new members of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

The ceremony came to an end with an inspiring message from one of the investing officers, Mrs. Rosalima C. Lacorte, and the recessional march of the newly acknowledged cadets and senior scouts proceeded. A simple but meaningful celebratory meal followed after to celebrate the 16 young women who proudly wore their symbolic green uniforms with courage and hope, prepared to take on a meaningful journey ahead of them and the challenge to make the world a better place.

Reorganizing this investiture ceremony is a revival of a tradition that once formally welcomed courageous young women to a meaningful sisterhood and to opportunities of valuable experiences that allowed them to become remarkable and brilliant women of their time. At present, the institution carries the same hope and is one with the mission to grow students holistically; it is also in the best hopes of the school for young women of this generation to have the same courage to wear that green uniform—a symbol of meaningful youth with courage—to take part in the movement of making the world a better place as they, too, grow to become remarkable women of their own generation marked by their character and confidence enkindled in them by the meaningful experiences of being proud Petrinian Girl Scouts of the Philippines.